Eccles residents are the first able to send Labour a message after the budget
The by-election in Eccles Ward means Eccles residents will be the first in Salford to be voting since the Labour government was elected and delivers its first budget the day before polling. Already there is dismay amongst some Labour supporters at the direction the new government is taking. Nationally the Tories remain in chaos and appear to be veering further to the right.
Liberal Democrats regard it as laughable that Labour should suggest that withdrawing the winter fuel allowance from pensioners is needed to save the NHS. Lib Dems accept that the Tories have left the country in a terrible economic state but certainly wouldn’t be looking to claw money back from pensioners at a time when energy prices are about to rise, when the chancellor claims £4,400 for heating her second home and the prime minister has accepted £100,000 plus in freebies.
John Grant, Chair of Salford Liberal Democrats said, “Despite the triple-lock our state pension is the lowest in Western Europe whatever the Labour government is saying. The absence in the King’s speech of any commitment to remove the two child benefit cap which would have taken so many children out of poverty, and now the withdrawal of the winter fuel allowance to millions of pensioners might indicate we are heading for austerity 2.0. Targeting pensioners and children, with hints the single person council tax discount, sickness benefit and bus passes might also be hit gives an indication of what this Labour government is like. These are measures Liberal Democrats would oppose. We are demanding that investing in our crumbling NHS is the top priority in the upcoming budget”.
Dr Ian McKinlay, Liberal Democrat candidate in the Eccles by-election said, ‘The Chancellor needs to think again if the government is considering hiking taxes on small businesses, who have already suffered from eye-watering tax rises under the last Conservative government. The burden of this budget should fall on the big banks, social media giants and oil and gas firms, not local community businesses. The Conservative government has left our economy on life support. Now is the time to boost growth by backing small businesses and repairing our crumbling public services.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Paul Heilbron said, “With 72 MPs we are looking to hold the Labour government to account in Westminster and do what we told electors we would do in the General Election. Here in Salford as the number of Lib Dem councillors on Salford City Council grows we are determined to hold Labour to account. In the general election we heard lifelong Conservative voters who were really appalled with what the Tory party has done to our country in the last 14 years. They supported us because they share with us some of their most important values like the cost of living crisis, the state of the NHS, social care and pollution in our waterways.
We have already delivered for Eccles residents and people in Salford with the late night trams. Our proposals to clean up the city’s waterways was supported by the whole council this month. We will be working hard as we seek to do locally what our 72 MPs are determined to do in Westminster. The by-election is the first opportunity for local people to send a message to the Labour government and the Labour run council”.
Residents in Eccles will have their say on October 31st a day after the government’s first budget has been delivered.
For further information contact Ian McKinlay 07505439311 or Cllr Paul Heilbron 07854901497
